Please stop by if you’re in the area, my table is AA-2004 (on the outside edge toward the back–click the link for a map).

I’m not scheduled on any panels (that I know of), so find me at the table! I’ll be sharing with my good friend & fellow Codexian Alex Wilson. We’d love to see you!

*********************

[Edited to add: Have just been contacted by HeroesCon & told that, essentially, because I have AT&T my phone will be useless during the convention. I don’t mind uploading all my pictures afterwards…the part that stinks will be when I can’t accept credit cards. (GAH.) Joe and I will do our best to find a way to work around this, but if you’re planning to shop at HeroesCon this weekend, you’re going to want to make sure you have a decent amount of Cash On Hand. I’m not going to be the only table with this problem.]

Emily turned me on to Ben’s Splitsville with her review on ComicMix — a book about a superhero who is also his own villain? Just about the awesomest case of schizophrenia ever. If you live in Comic Book Land. And you’re not that guy.

Ben’s a pretty awesome guys too…of course, after we met at HeroesCon and I picked up Splitsville, I completely forgot to get a picture of us, for which I’m still kicking myself. But that’s okay. There will be other conventions. And more great projects.

Take it away, Ben!

****************

Author or Artist?
Author. I’m genuinely the worst artist in the world. My most painstakingly crafted drawings are indistinguishable from hamster droppings.

Who are your professional role models?
Brian Bendis, Warren Ellis, and Peter David are why I started writing comics in the first place. Obviously Gaiman was (and is) brilliant, and anything Hickman writes is automatically added to my pull list.

What’s your favorite writing/sketching weather?
It depends on the book, I suppose. When I’m writing something dark, rain certainly helps set the mood.

Set your current playlist/musical device to “shuffle all” and hit PLAY. What’s the first song that comes up?
“Forever Your Girl” by Paula Abd— I mean, “Stinkfist” by Tool. Yes. Yes, that’s what I meant.

If you could win any award, which would it be?
Is there an award for having the most awesome collection of Masters of the Universe Hot Wheels?

Would you rather have magical powers, or a spaceship?
Spaceship. In my head, everything I say is in the voice of Captain Mal Reynolds anyway.

What was your favorite book as a child?
There was an beautifully illustrated book I adored as a child called The Rainbow Goblins by Ul De Rico. If you haven’t seen it, you really, really, really should.

What thing do you wish you could go back in time and tell your 10-year-old self?
That the statement “Why is Apple making an mp3 player? That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” will come back to haunt you.

What’s your favorite constellation?
Orion. Three stars for the belt, and everything else is up to the imagination. Now THAT I can draw.

What thing are you most proud of?
I already mentioned my He-Man Hot Wheels, right? In all seriousness, I’m very, very proud of how Splitsville came out – it was my first attempt to do both a superhero-type story and also a graphic novel-sized comedy book. I’m thrilled with the results. I’m also working on a (top secret!) joint project with another author, Emily Whitten, and the world-building we’ve accomplished thus far has been exponentially more detailed and epic than anything I’ve ever worked on previously. I’m incredibly excited about it.

The Colin Harvey Memorial Question: Name 3 things on your List of Things to Do Before You Die.
Arm wrestle Felicia Day.
See Stephen King’s Dark Tower as an HBO series
Write Deadpool, Moon Knight or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

****************

Ben Fisher is the author of several comics and graphic novels, including “Hexen Hammers” and the Eagle-nominated “Smuggling Spirits.” The first issue of his three-part series “Splitsville” – following a superhero whose arch-nemesis is his own split-personality — is set to be released in hard cover this fall.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to July, and the Month of Artist and Author Interviews here on the website.

Today’s interview features fabulous comic book writer Jeremy Whitley.

Once upon a time, my Amazing Webmaster Phillip sent me an email telling me I would *love* this comic called Princeless. Now, Phillip has known me for years, and as he’s designed my website he knows a bit about my tastes, so I trust his recommendations. But I don’t always have time to follow up on those…so the email sat in my inbox and gathered dust.

When I got to HeroesCon, I decided to hunt down all of Phillip’s recommendations (by then there were a few) and just buy them straight from the creators, sight unseen. And so I met Jeremy Whitley. And you know what? Phillip was right. Princeless is awesome. Jeremy just so happens to write Order of the Dagonet as well, which is illustrated by our beloved Jason Strutz (Interview #21). Such a small world!

Know what else? Jeremy’s a pretty darn cool guy, too. See below.

****************

Author or Artist?
Author

Who are your professional role models?
Joss Whedon, Brian K. Vaughan, Stephen King

What’s your favorite writing/sketching weather?
Rainy and cool

Set your current playlist/musical device to “shuffle all” and hit PLAY. What’s the first song that comes up?
Leslie Anne Levine – The Decemberists

If you could win any award, which would it be?
The Teen Choice Award. Because they don’t give those out for comics and that’s a tragedy.

Would you rather have magical powers, or a spaceship?
Magical Powers, without doubt. I’ve been pretending I had them since I was five.

What was your favorite book as a child?
The Hobbit

What thing do you wish you could go back in time and tell your 10-year-old self?
Listen kid, middle school is gonna suck, but it gets better. Keep writing and keep thinking.

What’s your favorite constellation?
The North Star is my favorite. Strange answer, right? But it reminds me that even in the most complex and unknowable systems, there is constancy. When it feels like you’ve lost your way, you can always look north.

What’s your favorite fairy tale?
Red Riding Hood.

What thing are you most proud of?
Being a good father and husband.

The Colin Harvey Memorial Question: Name 3 things on your List of Things to Do Before You Die.
1.) Visit London
2.) Write somebody’s favorite story
3.) See my daughter do something she’s really passionate about (you know, in an adult way, not in a “I’m one year old and I finally figured out how to climb onto the fireplace mantle” kind of way)

****************

Jeremy is the Glyph winning and Eisner nominated writer of comic books such as Princeless and The Order of Dagonet. He is a partner and Director of Marketing for Action Lab Entertainment and co-founder of Firetower Studios. He is also a lucky husband and enthusiastic father. You can find his work on www.firetowerstudios.com and www.actionlabcomics.com. You can also follow him on twitter @jrome58 and tumblr at princelesscomic.tumblr.com.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to July, and the Month of Artist and Author Interviews here on the website!

Today’s interview features one of my new friends from HeroesCon in Charlotte this year: Jason Strutz, whom I met while strolling the aisles, looking for a signal in order to run my Square transaction (as one does at such conventions).

Jason’s the artist for The Order of Dagonet comic (which I scored at the con, thank you), and, adorned with a hat, he bears a passing resemblance to a certain Mythbuster.

Welcome, Jason!

****************

Author or Artist?
I am an artist for comics, book covers, and concepts.

What thing are you most proud of?
That I’m still working and haven’t given up yet.

The Colin Harvey Memorial Question: Name 3 things on your List of Things to Do Before You Die.
1. Grow old
2. Work 9-5 and then relax
3. Be able to look back on a lifetime of decent work that kept us fed.

Today is my blog day over at the Waterworld Mermaids, and I’m talking about my very first experience behind a table at a comic book convention–at HeroesCon just this past weekend!

**********************I am a comic book geek, dyed in the wool from the tender age when I could lift my first Archie Comics Digest. Casey and I loved Elfquest in middle school. I moved on to Arkham Asylum and the X-Men Phoenix Saga and John Byrne’s Next Men when I was a teen. In college, my boyfriend gave me a graphic novel by that guy Tori Amos was always writing into her songs–at my first Dragon*Con, Charles Vess drew the Sandman in silver paint pen inside my first edition hardcover of The Wake. It’s one of my most prized possessions.

I’ve been to comic book conventions before, spoken to artists and authors, found new things and scavenger hunted for signatures. But this past weekend at HeroesCon 2012 was my very first time BEHIND A TABLE…